Northumbria Police continue operation to tackle burglars in region

Launched last month Operation Impact is a dedicated campaign to take action against burglars and stop them in their tracks.

The two month campaign, which will run until the end of March, has seen dedicated patrols in hotspot areas to act as a deterrent and take immediate action against burglars.

Since the campaign launched 83 people have been arrested for burglary offences, 21 of those arrested have been charged.

55 people were arrested in Sunderland and 28 in South Tyneside.

And, police are warning they will continue to target suspected burglars and make more arrests.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Vera Baird, said: "Operations like this demonstrate that our officers are taking strong action to make sure criminals who commit burglaries across Sunderland and South Tyneside are brought to justice and put before the courts.

"Tackling this issue will remain a priority and I urge local residents to continue working with their neighbourhood officers, reporting anything suspicious and taking crime prevention advice on board."

Southern Area Command Chief Inspector Jerry Pearson said: "Operation Impact is our response to stop burglars in their tracks. The operation has now been running for a month and already we have arrested 83 men and women and searched numerous houses and other premises in connection with burglary offences.

"Our message to burglars is quite simply we will continue to target you until you stop committing burglary, if we suspect you are responsible for a burglary then we will do everything we can to arrest you. And, those who help burglars - either by handling stolen goods or covering their tracks - will also not evade police.

"We are utilising a number of resources in our effort to tackle burglars and as well as police patrols we are being supported by the dog section, motor patrols and mounted section. We also have a dedicated burglary team with officers solely investigating burglaries to apprehend those responsible and put them before the courts.

In addition, officers look at the locations of burglaries, times of day they've been committed and how they've been carried out to identify any patterns so we can respond to these."

Northumbria Police's Volunteer Police Cadets recently helped officers from the Houghton and Hetton Neighbourhood Policing Team deliver burglary prevention advice booklets to residents in Houghton, Hetton and Easington Lane.

The booklets include a host of information to help residents take steps to make it difficult for burglars.

Ch Insp Pearson added: "Crime prevention is a key part of our campaign and residents can always play a part in helping us in our efforts to target burglars by making their homes as secure as possible and difficult for burglars to burgle.

"Often a simple step such as locking the front door could be all that's needed to deter a burglar from targeting your property. Of course, there are other measures residents can take and we would always advise this."

To find out more about policing in your area vist the your local neighbourhood policing page on the Northumbria Police website www.northumbria.police.uk